We have got to the Draft Town Centre Area Action Plan stage, of a plan that was started three years ago. Our Draft Local Plan is currently being written, but it is likely to be around two years before it is adopted (all being well). I have been asked if, due to the fact that our Area Action Plan will have to wait behind the Local Plan and therefore progress will not be made for some time, whether we should abandon the whole idea of the Action plan and somehow filter the framework for the Town Centre into the Local Plan instead. We don't want to lose momentum with plans for the Town Centre as it has taken so long to get to this point, so encompassing the details within the Local Plan seems a good idea on the face of it. Equally, we don't want local people thinking that we have abandoned the town at this late stage, especially given the rather negative history behind any forward movement for the historic town centre. Has anyone got any thoughts on this please?
